No Direction
by firewaterspaceairearth
Summary: (Just a random short one shot which I originally had as part of a different story, but decided to remove. I might continue it, but it's pretty open to interpretation- I'm not entirely sure what happened.) That day when Mr Schuester walked into the choir room, nobody said a word. We were all sitting in one unbroken line. And we all knew, even without words. We can't go on like this.


_If you recognise it, it's not mine._

* * *

That day when Mr Schuester walked into the choir room, nobody was talking, or singing, or picking away on drums and guitars. We were all sitting in an unbroken line, staring at him. He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped, lowering his head.

"We can't go on like this," Finn said, eyes flicking to the empty seat where Kurt used to sit. "We just _can't_." He reached out his hand, and I took it.

"We can get new members..." Mr Schue tried, but his voice trailed off. He blinked, and I felt truly sorry for him. None of this was his fault.

"I guess this is it then," he said, voice holding the faintest hint of a waver. "It's up to you guys, but I just want to say, you've been brilliant. Really."

He opened his desk, pulled out a few sheets of paper, and handed them to Finn.

"This is what I was thinking about for Sectionals. It doesn't really matter now, I guess, but take it anyway."

I stole a look at the papers. Songs about apologies, friendship, and then the one which left me hollow. Defying Gravity. With a post-it stuck to it._'Kurt?'_

Mr Schue had taken a seat with the rest of us, and with a horrible feeling I realised it was down to me. I stood, making my way to the front, hands clasped.

"As co-captain of the New Directions, I feel that it falls to me to speak now," I said, not meeting anyone's eyes. "I was one of the first people to join this club, and this room holds the best memories I'll ever have of high school. Glee was all about how we would look out for each other, as a team, as friends. But we failed at that, and no matter how much we try and convince ourselves it wasn't our fault, that chair represents more than a missing member. It represents a missing part of the club's _soul_, the promise that we all made without knowing, that we would protect each other." Mercedes was crying. So was Tina. Quinn and Santana were both clinging to Brittany, who seemed to know exactly what was going on for once. The boys weren't crying, but Sam, Mike and Artie kept casting glances at the empty chair. Puck looked like he was going to hit something, and Finn... Finn was just sitting with his head in his hands. I swallowed, and carried on. I felt that this should be official, elegant, worthy of the club.

"I, Rachel Berry, hereby state...hereby state..." A few tears slipped down my cheeks. "The New Directions are... the New Directions are d-disbanded," I whispered, not daring to meet anyone's eyes, wishing for someone to leap up and stop me, stop this. Nobody did. "I'm sorry." The first person to leave was Puck. He kicked his chair back, yanking the door open roughly.

"Well?" he snapped, looking round at the silent room. "There's nothing to keep us here now, is there?" The three Cheerios stood and followed him. Quinn was definitely crying. Santana and Brittany had linked their pinkies so tightly that the skin was turning purple. Then Sam and Mike. Finn left, glancing round the room with a strange look on his face. But then he was gone too. It was just us. Me, Tina, Mercedes and Artie. We were the original members, but not the New Directions. Not without Kurt. Mr Schuester stepped forward. "Guys, I'm _sorry_."

"It's not your fault. It's not any of our faults," Artie replied, gripping Tina's hand.

"Maybe next year, a second chance, Mr Schue. But not this year. Not with us." Everyone nodded, eyes locking with identical expressions. I felt as if part of my heart was slowly being cut away. Silently, we left the room. He locked the door behind him. It echoed in the corridor, a final click. And then we all turned, walking away from the empty room, but not intending to go anywhere.


End file.
